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(No Mode1.) j '2 sheets-sheet 1..

I'. S. .KEJIGHUMI RAILROAD TIE.

Patented May 31, 1892.

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P. S. KETCHU-M.

E" AILROAD TIE.

Patented May 31, 1892".A

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FRANK S. KETCHUM, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFIGATIO forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,981, dated May 31, 1892. Application iiled January 15, 1892. Serial Ne, 4l8,193. (No model.)

To all whom tracy concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK S. KETCHUM, a citizen of the United Stai'es,.residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Mem and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

i exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which ro it appertains to make and use the same, refer# ence beingjhad )to the accompanying drawings, and jte the letters of reference marked l'hereou, which form a part of this specification.

r 5 My present' invention has relation to metallie railroadfties;land-the object is to produce alie capable ofheng cheaply made and cx- 'peditiousl-y hallasted, in combination with devices which will form a traek-fastenerfor the zo rails; and .to these ends the novelty consists in the construction and combination of the several parts of the same, as will be hereiuafter more fully described, and particularly poiuied'out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference inr'licate the saine parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my`improved hallasted metallic tie with the rail ou 3o the left hand locked in position on the tie and the position of the right-'hand rail shown in dotted lines and the locking-wedges removed and shown in perspective a short distance above. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the tie with its integral parts. ,Figa 4 is a cross-seetiou on the lineal .roi Fie. 2, and Fien 5 is a perspective View ol' one end of the tie inverted and in position tor lilling in the 4o hallasting material.

A isrthe tic proper, and consists of a single piece of rolled, stamped, or cast metal7 and is very clearly shown by itself in Fig.

li is a longitudinal central rib provided with recesses d o, which form the seats for 4the rails C l, and it `will heohserved that the shoulders formedV hy the rih ll on each side .of the. recesses d a eleelually prevent the leas-l possible tendency to the lateral displace- '50 ,nient of the rails, and this is a very impor taut feature of my invention, especially when `side flanges G (i, and when the tie is there is a possibility to spread the rails en a straight track, or, as in the ease of curves, when the centrifugal force of the train is thrown wholly ou the outer rail7 and thus Widen the distance between it and its fellow. The rib l is provided with slots l) Z1 b Z1, and at the end of each is a knee c, hentup from the metal ol the rih proper, and each knee has a vcrtieally-ol'lloi1gl hole d for thel reception ot the holt l),

E is a wedgeshaped key havin g an angular head e, shoulders c, a holt-hole e2, and the forward end c3, inclined or beveled from below forwardhv, as shown in the detached views in Fig. 1. Oneof these keys lil is inserted in the one of the sloish so that its beveled end e3 laps over the flange e of the rail'U and tile` bolt l) placed through Athe holes c2 in the head e and d in the knee c, and the nut d is then held in position, its lower side engaging the flat surface of the top face oi. the rib ll, which prevents the nut from turning, and the bolt is then screwed home. rlhe saine operation is then carried out with the rest ofthe keys and the slots, and the resultis a position lock hetween the rail and the tie, and it will he ob- 4 served by reference to the left-hand portieri of Fig. l that this is accomplished and great strength secu red. by the leverage ot' the wedgeshaped en d of the key, where it bears upon the mil-1lange,being supported by the shoulders of the head oflthe key on the side flanges of the slots l), so that the whole strain comes where the metal is the strongest to hear it, and the ol'liee of the holt D is simply to hold the wedge-key in place, and by reason of the holo d in the knee f.- heing oblong no' lateral strain whatever comes on the holt. itself. Each end of Ythe tie is provided with an integral downwardly-projeeting' ear F, which extends beyond the line of the hase of the, in p0'- sition these ears extend into the ground aud prevent end motion of the ties.

Referring to Fig. 5, the tio is shown invertcd. The inside of the rib il, over the openings, is covered by a piece el" sheet metal rl, having downwardly-Uent ends s, which extend into the channel formed hy the rih l.

IOO

'lhe tie being infthis position and the plate S in place to protect the wedge-retaining receases, any eonerete. einemy unies. filone, or any other Sni'eole l'iziiinsting P illed in, and when about to eet tile enza g ol:l ine eide llzmges G nre nenn in, ne shown in Fig. il, unil Serve to liolf'l the ballast in peeiion while the ties. ero being leid. 'it will inns, lio neen ilmt :L ballnsfled. Lie is produced) and nl the Smile time ille rough nnrnee oi lilo imllesiing; mane lakes n firm lioifi on 'ulie ground. anni verylzirpgeiy mienne in gn'ereni in y, the .'fiinijlflee- .ment of tlie tien.

fllzbving inns fully il what'. elimini, and den? Patent, is-

l. A `sheet-xiremi rn. unl-Lie having; :irais Upper side mind correspondingly-ilepre und Ar surface and, lnle" l'.fiiil under enrfnee filled with n` suitable lillnsting imiterinl previous to the lering ol tiie Ylie in pnnition, n and. for ialzo pr we ser l'orili.

il. A Sheet-nomi rziilrolulmiolieu/ing (lepenfling emi eers, zin nl F, :nid having the Splice between anni eers lilleil with a, ballasting; mass previous lo tne )flying of the le, as

and for tile purpose not forth.

3. A Simboli-inclini milromkllo lnwin;r n, oenlrnl longitudinal ril)7 singular siile flanges, and nngnlm wml nnrsqllw whole formell of (A one piece of men, as and for alle purpose set forth.

i. A sheet-metal railroad-tie having a. ceutrni longitudinal rib, recesses which form the milsear., and slots formed in the face of said ril and having integral knees formed of the metal punched from seid slots, in combina.- iion with en angular Wedgeehnped key adpr eci *m enter said slots and ne secured there in eonneeiiion with the eers above mentioned, as sind for the purpose set forth.

5. A xii-emilio railroad-tie having a, central rin provided with raileeet recesses an slots,

nl' the ende of which are upwardly-retaining ears, in Combination with n railroad-rail and :L looking Wedgesheped key adapted to be seenred in said slot and lock the rail to the tie,-

mid for the purpose set forth.

'6. 'lhe combination, wlli tlietie constructed nedxleseribed and having the slot b, of the key E, neming beveled portion e3 and one or more slionlgiers e', as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my Signaturein presenee'oitivo witnesses.

FRANK S. KETCHUM.

.Vitneeeee ll. J. Ennis. n. W. Gwenn. 

